Lay the Foundation

            This week I read this sentence: “[The man summoned by divine promise’s] understanding consists in the fact that in sympathy with the misery of being he anticipates the redeeming future of being and so lays the foundation of reconciliation, justification, and stability” (J. Moltmann, 1967, p.290). It’s a rather dense sentence in dense section of what is, in some ways, a wonderful book, Theology of Hope. To cut through the thicket of James Leitch’s translation Moltmann’s theological German, I homed in on the phrase “lays the foundation.”

            What foundation is laid by “the one summoned by divine promise? Anyone – you, me, your friend, anyone who has entrusted his life to Christ, received forgiveness, and been born again is to be counted among those summoned by the divine promise. In other words, this refers to Christians who are determined to follow Jesus. (Is there any other way that can be call ‘Christian,’ than total commitment to the way of Jesus?)

            This brought to my mind Dallas Willard’s thought in Divine Conspiracy and The Spirit of the Disciplines. One of the primary motivations Willard saw for living a spiritually disciplined life was that doing so prepared one for life in Heaven. Willard hinted at the possibility that all might go to Heaven, but it would only feel like Heaven for those who spent this life getting ready.

            So, how does one “lay the foundation,” or “get ready” (Willard)? How do we store up treasures in Heaven (Jesus – Matthew 6:19-21). What does foundation-laying/readying/storing up look like in one’s life? I wrote last month that this year, my spiritual teacher will be Simeon (Luke 2), the old man who hung out at the temple waiting for God to show him the “consolation of Israel.” Is foundation-laying/readying/storing up simply the wait? Is the disciple life a life of waiting God?

            In a sense, yes, but how do we spend out time waiting? My belief is our waiting is expectant. (1) We live each day expecting God to God-sized in our lives that day. (2) We live toward a specific end; toward the eternal kingdom of God, that was launched in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and will be fully consummated in his return. We live toward that return. We live today by the values and currency of that time.

            What is the defining value? Love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. What is the only valid currency in the kingdom of God? Service. “The greatest among you must be … one who serves. … I [Jesus]am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:26, 27). So, my ambition is to wait on the Lord. My work, done while waiting, involves foundation-laying/readying/storing up. I do this work by honing in myself a heart of love for God and neighbor. I sharpen the effectiveness of my love and broaden the extent of my love by serving and helping others. No matter how badly I do this work, God gives me more opportunities. No matter how well I do, I can always improve.

 

My Belly

 

I just saw an article titled "Why Being Fat is Great."

I won't read it.

Spare tire. Expanding tube. Stretched belt.

Reese's Cup. Flavored chips. Breaded chicken, with sauce. 

I don't hate myself. If I did, I wouldn't regret that second Reese's Cup.

If I did, I wouldn't long to run, or at least jog. 

If I did, I wouldn't sit down to write.

If I did, I wouldn't imagine something different.

I don't hate myself.

My belly is my body. So are my arthritic knees. 

So are my literate eyes.

So are my ears, trained to listen like a therapist,

or like a pastor;

or like a friend.

I won't check on the article, "Why Being Fat is Great."

I don't hate myself. 

And, I'd rather stop thinking about my belly and read something else.

Simeon: A Biblical Role Model for 2025

 

            During Advent 2024 (a few weeks ago), I followed the devotional distributed to subscribers of Christianity Today magazine. It’s called A Time for Wonder. The entry that spoke most profoundly to me is written by Lily Journey. Her focus is on Simeon who we meet in Luke 2:25-35. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah” (v.25-26).

            What was Simeon’s job? Luke doesn’t say. How old was he? Luke offers no clue. From what family and tribe did he hail? We don’t know. His social class? Luke doesn’t tell us.

            All we know of Simeon is that he was waiting for God to deliver on the promise; he, Simeon, would see the Messiah with his own eyes. How long did Simeon wait? What was his day-to-day life like while he waited? It’s impossible to fill in those blanks, but I believe that whatever Simeon’s life was, it included a responsive, committed prayer life. Verse 27 says he was guided by the Holy Spirit to the temple on the day Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to be dedicated. A lot parents brought their babies. How could he know which was the correct family? The Spirit directed Simeon to Mary and Joseph.

            I pause in his story here because Simeon is going to be before me as a character and a muse throughout 2025. I want to become someone who prays like Simeon, believing God will act. Then, I want to live my faith conscientiously and compassionately as I wait for God to act. I want to be such profound spiritual attentiveness that when the Spirit guides, I am ready to follow.

            Simeon exuded determined, expectant waiting. He modeled faith in the way I want to live. In 2025, I will strive to fill the role he occupied, that of expectant, faithful waiting on God.

            I encourage you, in 2025, to select someone from the Bible who models faith in the way you would like to live it. People will say they want to “grow closer to God in the new year.” That’s too vague. How do you know you’ve accomplished this goal? I propose that you zero in on a specific person from scripture, identify the qualities that individual has that you’d like, and then try to develop those qualities in your life.

            I will read and reread the 11 verses in Luke 2 that tell Simeon’s story and write about my own spiritual journey as I try to embody the values and strengths of Simeon in my own life. Find someone in the Bible to be your role model as you follow Jesus in 2025.